Machine for covering heels



April 27, 1937. v J. BAZZONI MACHINE FOR COVERING HEELS Filed May 9, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet l April 27, 1937. J BAZZONI' 2,078,307

MACHINE FOR COVERING HEELS Fi led May 9, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 April l937- .1. BAZZONI 2,078,307

MACHINE FOR COVERING HEELS Filed May 9, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 mv m Patented Apr. 27, 1937 UNITED STATES- MACHINE FOR COVERING HEELS Lewis J. Bazzoni, Swampscott, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 9; 1934, Serial No. 724,673

, p 15- Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of shoes and is illustrated as embodied in a machine for applying covers to heels.

It is customary to cover the breast of a Louis of the sole has been coated with rubber cement it is applied to the rear part of the shank portion of the sole of the shoe and to the breast of the heel by hand or by machine. One type of machine used for such purpose is disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1 ,740,448, granted December 24', 1929 on an application filed in my name.

The projecting portion of the breast of a 20 Louis heel is laterally'convex and therefore dur ing the flap-laying operation the portions of the flap which cover the respective lateral margins of the projecting portion of the breast have to be stretched lengthwise of the flap with respect 25 to the median portion of the flap. In order to insure that the flap shall not pull away from the lateral margins of the projecting portion of the heel breast it is desirable effectively to force the flap against such lateral margins and temporarily to hold the flap against the margins under molding pressure.

With the foregoing in view there is provided in accordance with a feature of this invention, a heel-covering organization comprising a support for a shoe and a resilient pad movable in a predetermined path, the pad being constructed and arranged to force the heel-breast covering flap of the shoe against the margins of the projecting portion of the breast of a Louis heel attached to 40 the shoe with moulding pressure and then to force the flap against the median part of the projecting portion of the heel breast. In the illustrated machine the support for the shoe is yieldingly movable about an axis, under pressure of the pad which as it moves along its path initially forces the flap against the projecting portion of the breast of the heel of the shoe. Further pressure of the pad against the shoe causes the support, together with the shoe mounted thereon, to rock slightly about the axis. The pad, due to its resilience is then forced progressively forwardly of the shoe against the shank portion of the sole to lay the flap upon the same as it is forced against the shoe; and the lower portion of the heel breast, over which the flap is posiwhich extends forwardly of the heel-breast line tioned, is progressively forced against the pad.

When the support has been rocked to such an angle that the entire breast of the heel and the rear part of the shank portion of thesole are effectively forced against the pad, the pad is temporarily stopped to insure that such pressure is maintained, thereby to permit the cement toset. The pad is then moved away from the support and the shoe is removed from the machine.

With the above construction the heel-breast covering flap is effectively cemented to the breast of the Louis heel and to the rear end of the shankportion of the shoe, the portions of the flap which cover the lateral margins of the projecting breast portionof the'heel being forced with sufflcient molding pressure against the heel breast to insure that such portions of the fiap remain permanentlyattached to theheel. The illustrated machine is of simple construction and accommodates shoes of various sizes and styles without the necessity of changing pads and adjusting the machine;

These and other features of the invention, including certain details of construction and combinations of parts will be described as embodied in an illustrated machine and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the illustrated. machine and shows a heel-breast covering flap of a shoe being applied to the breast of a heel of the shoe;

Fig. 2 shows a vertical section of a portion of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an illustrative View showing in perspective the relative positions of the shoe and the pad during the initial engagement of the pad with the shoe;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an inverted shoe, the heel-breast covering flap of which is to be applied to the rear part of the shank portion of the shoe and to the breast of a Louis heel attached to the shoe;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a slightly modified type of flap-applying pad;

Fig. 6 illustrates partly in section, another type of pad which is useful in applying heelbreast covering flaps to the breasts of Continental heels; and

Fig. 7 shows a vertical section of the pad. and shoe illustrated in Fig. 6 taken longitudinally of the shoe;

The illustrated machine is described with re ference to the application of heel-breast covering flaps to shoes provided with Louis and Continental heels. In the manufacture of shoes it is common practice to cover the breast (Fig. 4) of a Louis heel 22 attached to a shoe with a heelbreast covering flap 2% which is split from the grain side of the rear end of a sole 26 of the shoe. The fiap 2d usually extends forwardly of the heel-breast line 28 (Fig. 4) of the sole in order to enable the operator to bend the flap 24 forwardly of the shoe during the heel-seat fitting operation and thus to permit the operator effectively to joint the forward edge 36 of the lip of the attaching face of the heel with the shank portion 32 of the sole.

The breast 2B of the Louis heel 22 comprises a forwardly projecting portion 3 5 (Fig. 4) which is laterally convex and a lower portion 36 which is substantially planar but which in some heel constructions may be slightly concave laterally of the heel. It will be noted that in the drawings of the illustrated machine the heel is shown as inverted. In the specification, however, the upper and lower portions of the breast of the heel have reference to the heel in its normal upright position.

Since the forwardly projecting portion 34 of the breast of the heel is sharply curved heightwise and is laterally convex as best shown in Fig. 4, the portions of the flap 2 5 which cover the lateral margins of such portion must be stretched lengthwise with respect to the portion of the flap which covers the median part of the forwardly projecting portion 34. Since the portions of the flap 24 which cover the margins of the projecting portion M respectively are laid under tension there is a tendency for such portions to break the flap attaching bond, which is usually rubber cement, and to curl away from the breast 20. It is therefore desirable to force the flap 24 against the heel breast 28 with an amount of pressure greater than can be obtained by the hand-laying operation and to hold the flap 24 under pressure against the breast 20 of the heel until the cement sets. Moreover, since the lip of the projecting portion of the breast of the heel is not always well supported by the heel seat of the shoe it is desirable, in order to prevent cracking the heel, that the necessary molding pressure be applied to the lateral margins of the projecting portion 34 of the breast 20 of the heel without the application of too great a pressure at the median part of the projecting portion. In applying the flap 2 to the heel breast, special care should also be exercised in order not to wrinkle the flap.

The illustrated machine is provided with a support 38 for the shoe and a pad 49 movable in a circular path for applying the heel-breast covering flap 24 to the shoe. An angular plate 42 which is incorporated in the pad M (Fig. 2) is secured through the provision of screws 44 to a flange portion 46 of a lever 38 pivo-tally mounted upon a shaft 50 (Fig. 1) supported by a bifurcated arm 52. The lever 48 is pivotally connected to a link 54 which is operated by an arm 56 pinned to a shaft 58. The shaft 58 may be operated by power but in the illustrated machine is operated by a hand lever 60. v

The support 38 comprises a boss 62 which is bored to receive a last pin 64 constructed and arranged to enter a recess 56 of a last 68 upon which the shoe is mounted. A screw III in threaded relation with the boss 62 may be used for initially adjusting the pin 64 to accommodate lasts 68 of different heights. The support 33 also comprises a rest 12 which is constructed and arranged to engage the rear portion of the heel 22 of the shoe, the heel-engaging portion of the rest 12 being in the form of a replaceable pad 14 made of rubber or of other suitable material which may effectively engage the rear face of the heel without scoring the same. By making the pad 74 of rubber the bearing area between the pad and the heel increases as pressure is exerted against the pad and the pad also conforms to heels of different sizes and shapes.

In order to equalize pressure against the top and bottom portions of the rear face of the heel, the rest 12 is pivotally adjustable about a hearing portion 16 of a slide 18 which passes through a cylindrical recess of a plate 80. A set screw 82 is provided for adjusting the slide 18 with respect to the plate 80. The heel rest 12 may be initially raised or lowered relatively to the pin 54 by releasing a screw 84 which is in threaded relation with the support 38 and passes through an elongated slot 86 of the plate 80, the screw 84 being set up after the proper adjustment has been efiected.

The shoe support 38 is mounted upon a bearing pin 88 carried by an L-shaped base bracket 90 which, through the screw 92 (Fig. l) may be secured in difierent adjusted positions relatively to a base plate 94. The shoe support 38 is normally disposed in a predetermined position relative to the bracket 96 by a strong spring 95 the lower end of which'is enclosed in a socket 538 of the bracket 90 and the upper end of which is secured to'the support 38.

Formed integral with the base plate 94 is an upstanding lug I00 (Fig. 1) relatively to which the bifurcated arm 52 may be adjustably secured in diiferent heightwise positions along a guideway I82 of the lug IUD through the provision of a bolt I04 which is in threaded relation with the bifurcated arm 52 and passes through an elongated opening IOS in the lug IUD. It will be clear from the foregoing that when considerable downward pressure is imparted to the pad 40 through the toggle formed by the arm and the link 54 the support 38 upon which the shoe is mounted is moved in a counterclockwise direction.

The pad All may be said to have a U-shaped work-engaging face, the shoe being so arranged that the pad, which is slightly smaller than the space formed between the breast 29 of the heel and the shank portion 32 of the shoe, initially forces the flap 24 against the margins of the projecting portion 34 of the breast 2% of the heel. This is effected by forming an elongated recess m8 extending along the front and the apex portions H8, H2 (Fig. 3) of the work-engaging face of the pad A0. The front face H0 of the pad may thus be said to be trough-shaped and the rear face H4 of the pad 46 which applies the flap 24 to the lower portion 36 of the heel breast 20 is planar.

The lower portions of the breasts of heels are sometimes laterally curved and accordingly the pad may be somewhat modified as illustrated in Fig. 5. In such a construction the heel-engaging portion I I 6 of the rear face of the pad I I8 instead of being planar is cylindrical, the radius of curvature of such portion being slightly less than the radius of transverse curvature of the lower portion of the breast of the heel.

As the pad cu is lowered the lateral cylindrical ridges I28 (Fig. 3) spread apart slightly and tension the flap laterally. As the flap 24 is tensioned amass? laterally; the elongated recess: m of the pad forces'the flap against the median part of the projecting portion 34 of the heel breast 20'.

It will be noted that, as the pad 46 moves" into engagement with. the hermit .has a component extending rearwardly of the shoe and thus tensions-the base portion of the flap 24, which covers the rear shank portion. 32 of the shoe, lengthwise; and: this insures that the base portion of the flap shall be pulled taut as it is cemented to the shoe. Before sufficient pressure is exerted against the shoe by the pad 40- to move thesupp'ort 38 about the bearing pin 88 the pad, due to its resiliency, is sufficiently distorted to force the portions of the flap: which are located forwardly of the portion of initial contact, against the shank portion 32' of: the sole. 26. Since the-shank portion 32 of the sole 26 is laterally convex the portion of the face of. the pad which forces theflap against the rear shank portion 32 of the sole is also trough-shaped but may be of less depth than corresponding portions of the apex portion I I2 of the work-engaging face of the pad. I v 1 .When': the pad 40 presses the-shoe with sufficient pressureito move the support'in a counterclockwise direction about the bearing pin 88 against the resistance of the spring 96, the rear planar face II4 of the pad supports the flap- 24 against the pressure of the lower part 36' of the heel breast 20. After the flap has been applied to the breast 2!! the pad 40 is retained temporarily in compressed engagement with the heel 22 to insure that the cement shall set.

In applying a heel-breast covering flap to the breast of a Continental heel I22 (Figs. 6 and 7) it is difficult effectively to press the flap against the sharp angular portion I24 (Fig. 7) of the breast. Accordingly a pad I26 includes a plate I28 provided with a flange I30 extending almost to the leading portion of the pad. The lower end of the flange is thus spaced from the leading portion of the pad and is constructed and arranged to insure that the pad I26 is well forced into the sharp angular portion I24 of the heel breast before the support 38 begins to swing about the bearing pin 88.

In order to lay the heel-breast covering flap 24 upon the rear part of the shank portion 32 of the sole 26 and upon the breast 20 of the heel 22, the shoe which is mounted upon the last 68 is placed upon the pin 64 the rear face of the heel being in engagement with the rest I2. The operator by swinging the lever 60 forwardly of the machine causes the pad 40 to lay the flap upon the projecting portion 34 of the breast of the heel and upon the rear part of the shank portion 32 of the sole. As the pad 40 continues to. move downwardly the support 38 which carries the pin 64 and the pad I4 rocks in a counterclockwise direction to force the lower part 36 of the breast of the heel against the flap 24 supported by the rear planar face I I4 of the pad 40. The pad 40 is then held pressed firmly against the flap 24 for a short period in order to permit the flap-attaching cement to set, after which the pad 40 is raised away from the shoe by swinging the lever 60 rearwardly of the machine and the shoe is then removed from the machine.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A covering machine having, in combination, a support for a shoe, a resilient pad, and means for moving the pad into contact with a portion of a heel-breast covering flap which overlies the projecting portion: of thbre ast of "a heel attached to the shoe thereby to apply aportion of the flap tothe projecting portion of thebreast of the heel, said support. being constructed and arranged yieldingly to move relatively to the pad under pressure. or the pad against the shoe in order to causezthe flap to be applied tothe remaining portionofithe breast of the heel.

2. In a machine for applying a covering flap to the breast of a heel attached to a shoe, a support for thesshoe, and a resilient pad mounted for movement relatively to the support in a predetermined path, said; support being constructed and arranged to swing relatively to the pad under pressure of a shoe engaged by said pad. during a portion of the travel of the pad in said path.

'3;.In amachine for applying a covering to the heel ofa shoe, aresilient pad mounted for movement in a path included in a plane, a support mountedif'or'yielding. movement about an axis dis- 1 posed-at a substantial angle to said plane, and means for-moving the pad in said path to cause a shoe mounted upon the support tomove about said axis.

4'. In a covering machine, a support for ashoe having a Louis heel attached thereto and a sole therear end of which is provided with a flap for covering the breast of the heel, a resilient pad mounted for movement about an axis to apply the flap progressively to the shank portion of the shoe and to the top portion. of theheel breast, and means for permitting the support to -move about an axis relatively to the pad to apply the flap progressively to the lower portion of the breast of the heel.

5. In a covering machine, a support for a shoe and a resilient pad mounted for relative movement and constructed and arranged to apply a heel-breast covering flap to and progressively lengthwise of the breast of a Continental heel, said pad being provided with a reenforcement of rigid material positioned adjacent to the portion of the pad which forces the flap against the sharp angular portion of the breast of the heel thereby to support such portion of the pad in order effectively to apply the flap to the same.

6. In a covering machine, a support for a shoe, and a resilient pad mounted for movement in a predetermined path relatively to the support for applying a heel-breast covering flap to and progressively lengthwise of the breast of a Continental heel attached to the shoe, said pad being provided with a plate extending a substantial distance into the pad and terminating adjacent to the portion of the pad which forces the flap against the sharp angular portion of the breast of the heel thereby to support such portion in order efiectively to apply the flap to the same.

7. A covering machine comprising a support for a shoe, a pad movable in a predetermined path and constructed and arranged to engage a shoe mounted 'upon the support, said support being mounted for rocking movement under pressure of the pad against the shoe in a plane which is substantially parallel to the heighthwise median plane of the shoe, and resilient means for normally maintaining the support in predetermined position and constructed and arranged to cause the shoe mounted upon the support to resist the pad as the same is moved in said path.

8. A heel-covering machine having, in combination, a, yielding support for a shoe having an attached heel, and a pair of resilient pads constructed and arranged to engage the breast and the rear faces respectively of the heel of the shoe,

said pads being constructed and arranged to be moved simultaneously with relation to each other to cause a heel-breast covering flap of the shoe mounted upon the support to be applied to the breast of the heel.

9. A heel-covering machine having, in combination, a yielding support for a shoe having an attached heel and a pair of resilient pads constructed and arranged to engage the breast and rear faces respectively of the heel of the shoe,

said pads being mounted for simultaneous rock-v ing movement relatively to each other to cause a heel-breast covering flap of the shoe mounted upon the support to be progressively applied to the breast of the heel.

10. In a heel-covering machine, a support for a shoe, and a deformable pad mounted for movement, said support being mounted for movement under pressure of the pad against the shoe about an axis which is positioned rearwardly of the shoe and extends transversely of the shoe.

11. In a heel-covering machine, a support for a. shoe and a deformable pad mounted for movement about an axis, said support being mounted for movement under pressure of the pad against the shoe about an axis which is removed from the first-named axis by a distance which is less than the distance between said first-named axis and said pad.

12. A covering machine comprising a deformable pad, and a support for a shoe provided with an attached heel, said support including a heel rest mounted for rocking movement under pressure of the heel of the shoe forced by said pad against the rest, said support being mounted for swinging movement as an entirety under pressure of the shoe forced by said pad against the support.

13. In a heel covering machine, a deformable pad movable in a predetermined path, a shoe support comprising a last engaging member, and a deformable heel-engaging rest which is angularly adjustable relatively to said member, said support being mounted for angular movement relatively to said path.

14. In a heel covering machine, a deformable pad movable in a plane, means for operating said pad, and a support comprising a last engaging member and a deformable rest angularly adjustable in said plane relatively to said member, said support being mounted for swinging movement 'as an entirety in said plane.

15. In a machine of the class described, a support for a shoe, and a U-shaped resilient pad provided with a work-engaging face constructed and arranged to apply a heel-breast covering flap to the breast of a Continental heel attached to the shoe, said pad comprising a rigid member which is embodied in the pad and extends within a short distance from the leading portion of the pad thereby to cause the pad to apply the flap to the angular portion of the. breast of the heel.

LEWIS J. BAZZONI. 

